


strange, dear, but true, dear

by empressearwig



Series: The Bridgertons Play Hockey [2]
Category: Bridgerton Series - Julia Quinn
Genre: Accidental Marriage, Alternate Universe - Hockey, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Enemies to Lovers, F/M, Las Vegas, miniature golf
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-08
Updated: 2017-01-08
Packaged: 2018-09-15 19:48:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,138
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9253442
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/empressearwig/pseuds/empressearwig
Summary: Kate Sheffield does not want Anthony Bridgerton to date her sister. (A Bridgertons Play Hockey AU.)





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [thelittlestdoc](https://archiveofourown.org/users/thelittlestdoc/gifts).



> I hope you don't mind a belated gift, thelittlestdoc! I ran out of time before the deadline. Happy not quite Yuletide!

> _Wooh! There’s nothin’ like summer in the city/_  
>  _Someone in a rush next to someone lookin’ pretty_
> 
> Little birds are singing that New York's very own Captain means to take the lyrics from the smash hit Hamilton to heart this summer. This would be quite a turnaround for the man who violently objected to the romance of his sister and his linemate last fall. 
> 
> (If you need a refresher or suffered a recent bout of amnesia, the details are all gloriously documented on YouTube. God bless the internet.) 
> 
> Call us cynical, but we do wonder at the cause of this recent about face. Maybe the Captain is just like us mere mortals who refuse to go to a sibling's wedding without a date or maybe there's something more to the rumblings of an endorsement deal that he wasn't able to close out. It's rumored that the object of his affection is none other than Edwina Sheffield, just off a career making turn in the revival of Legally Blonde: the Musical. 
> 
> Could the current toast of Broadway be a match for one of the NHL's finest? Or to put it in theatre terms, can this Beauty help save the reputation of our very own Beast? Watch this space to find out.
> 
> ~ Excerpted from Sources Say, _The New York Post_  
> 

"He's not going to get away with it!

Edwina yawned at Kate's pronouncement, and turned the page in the script she was reading with breakfast. 

Kate didn't understand how her sister could be so calm. The fact that Anthony Bridgerton intended to use Edwina was out there for all of New York and anyone with an internet connection to see. This was something to get angry about, not something that one ignored in favor of drinking a truly disgusting looking protein shake. Maybe Edwina would better understand if she could actually see what Kate was yelling about.

Kate slid the iPad on top of Edwina's script and pointed. "Read that."

Edwina nudged the iPad away and went back to reading. "I saw it before you got here. Honestly, Kate, it's nothing. I've never even met the man."

"And if I have it my way, you're never going to," Kate retorted. "You're being awfully calm about this."

Edwina looked up from the script, and beamed the sunny smile that had won over even the most hard-hearted of theatre critics. "That's what I pay you for. Isn't that what you're always telling me?"

Kate had to laugh at that. Her sister might look sweet and kind and she was, but she was also an enormous smartass. She leaned over to hug her sister's shoulders from behind. "It's just that I worry."

Edwina patted Kate's hands. "You don't want anyone to use me. I know, and I love you for it." She twisted back in her chair and looked up at Kate with the entreating blue eyes that had always made Kate want to take care of her little sister. "But isn't it time that you let me make some decisions for myself? I'm all grown up. I promise."

Kate sighed. She knew her sister was right, but twenty plus years of protective instincts didn't disappear overnight. "I'll work on it."

Edwina beamed up at her. "Now, why don't you see about getting us an invite to the fancy party the Rangers are supposed to be throwing? I think I'd like to meet this Anthony Bridgerton, who is apparently pining for my company."

"But--" Kate started to protest, but stopped at the admonishing look from Edwina. "Right. Working on it. I'll see what I can do."

"Excellent," said Edwina. She pushed the script away and wrinkled up her nose. "Now can you get me some better scripts to read? I really don't want to star in anything else that involves on stage dog wrangling, Kate."

"I'll see what I can do about that too," Kate promised.

***

Anthony Bridgerton was pissed.

It was parade day and he'd woken up in a good mood, looking forward to sharing the season's worth of hard work with the fans. He didn't always enjoy the public relations role that went with being team captain, but bringing the Stanley Cup to the fans for the first time in more than twenty years? That was good shit.

But then he'd looked at his phone, which was lit up with hundreds of messages and notifications. He'd assumed they'd be about the parade, but as he started to scroll through, he quickly realized that this was something else entirely. This was goddamn Sources Say, and the _New York Post_ trying to ruin his life and he wasn't going to take it anymore.

How the hell did they know about a drunken conversation he'd had with his brothers the night the Rangers won the Cup? And where did they get off printing it and getting his mother's hopes up that she was finally going to marry off another one of her kids?

Anthony groaned thinking about his mother. She was going to have a field day. He didn't even want to know how many of the texts he had were from her, because he knew damn well that she had a google alert set with every single one of her children's names. She was going to be over the moon and he was going to have to watch her face fall when he told her it was all bullshit.

He would burn Sources Say to the ground for that alone. Anthony Bridgerton did not disappoint his mother. Ever. Full stop.

He looked up from the nightmare hellscape that was his phone when the door to his condo opened, his brothers appearing in quick succession with gleeful smiles on their faces.

"I'll kill you," Anthony warned in a flat voice.

This did not deter Colin, as Anthony had known that it wouldn't. He pulled out a chair, flipped it around, and sat. "Anthony and Edwina, sitting in a tree, K-I-S--"

Benedict hit Colin for Anthony, because he was closer. It was what brothers did.

"Bad timing," Benedict said, and even Colin looked sympathetic about that for a second.

"Do you think they have the locker room bugged?" Colin asked. "Or your place? It's a Mudoch paper, they could have hacked your phone. I remember they were doing that to Prince William and Kate." Colin clucked his tongue disapprovingly. "Those poor kids."

Anthony and Benedict both stared.

Colin shrugged. "I'm allowed to have other interests. You all should try it."

"Regardless," said Anthony, aware that Colin had done another brother thing and tried to take his mind off the problem. "Mom is now going to think I am on the verge of getting married and it's not true. I've never even met Edwina Sheffield."

"Do you want to?" Colin asked.

"Do you know her?" Benedict asked, sounding surprised. "How do you know her? She's hot."

Colin held up his hands. "I do not know her. But I got a text from Eloise, who got a text from Penelope Featherington, you guys remember her, right? Anyway, Penelope is friends with Edwina's agent, and apparently Edwina reads the papers and has a sense of humor and would like to meet you."

Benedict looked at Anthony. "Did you follow that?"

"I think so," Anthony said.

He considered the situation. Even if no one else understood, he did feel a lot of pressure to start dating someone. Leaving aside the parental pressure, the whole thing that had happened with Simon and Daphne last summer had left him with a bad taste in his mouth and to hear his publicist tell it, a bad reputation among a certain segment of the Rangers fanbase. He wasn't a mercenary enough person to date someone just to fix that, but to make his mother happy and to make sure he didn't have to go stag to his sister's wedding?

Well, maybe Edwina Sheffield was the answer to that set of very particular problems.

"Yes," said Anthony.

***

"I don't see why I had to come with you," Kate hissed, as she and Edwina stood in line to have their invitation checked. She resisted the urge to tug at the neckline of the dress that Edwina had insisted she wear. She had a perfectly serviceable black evening gown at home, she really didn't understand why Edwina had insisted they both needed something special for this particular evening of torture.

"They told me I had a plus one," Edwina said beatifically. "Who else was I going to bring?"

"Mary?" Kate suggested, somewhat desperately. It was too late to send for her step-mother and Edwina's mother, but she was willing to move heaven and earth to make that happen if Edwina would go for it.

Edwina wrinkled her nose. "I don't like to bring mom on prospective dates, thanks." She shot Kate a sideways look. "Is that what you've been doing? Oh, Kate, I knew you were doing something wrong."

Kate shot daggers at her sister. "I loathe you."

Edwina's laugh twinkled out, and as they'd finally reached the front of the line, the person checking the invitations looked rather bowled over. She had that effect on men. On people.

If Kate didn't love her sister so much, she really would loathe her.

Edwina tried to pass over their invitation, but the young man shook his head, and stammered, "Oh no, I know you're on the list. I saw you. Before. You go right on in, Miss Sheffield. Have a nice evening."

Edwina smiled at him, and as they passed, Kate swore that she heard the kid whimper.

"Did you have to smile?" Kate murmured. "You just ruined him for all other women."

"I like to give people what they're looking for," Edwina said. She grabbed two glasses of champagne from a passing waiter, and handed one to Kate. "Now, drink up. We're here to have fun tonight. You do remember how to have fun, don't you, Kate?"

"I have fun," Kate muttered. Edwina raised her perfectly arched eyebrows at her. "My kind of fun. We can't all be you. And--" Kate speared her sister with a warning look "--you're going to remember what we talked about, aren't you? No meeting Anthony Bridgerton without me. I don't trust him."

"You know that you're more interested in him than I am, don't you?" Edwina asked. "Why don't you think about why that is? Look, I think I see Sutton. I'm going to catch up. Ta-ta!"

With that parting shot, Edwina walked away, leaving Kate to fume after her. She wasn't interested in Anthony Bridgerton, that was preposterous. She was worried about her sister being used by a man who had never had a serious girlfriend, who appeared with a different model at every party he was photographed at, and who seemed to take nothing but hockey and anaphylaxis seriously. Her google research had been extensive, and donations to bee related charities only took a man so far in Kate's estimation.

Looking after Edwina was Kate's job and no one, not even a handsome hockey player was going to stop her from doing it and if Edwina thought otherwise, she had another thing coming.

Kate grabbed another champagne flute and took off after her sister. She wasn't letting Edwina out of her sight.

***

Anthony was at the bar when Edwina Sheffield came in. He didn't mean to stare, but she was every bit as beautiful as everyone said.

From next to him, Daphne nudged his side. "You're drooling."

"Shut up," said Anthony, still staring. Edwina Sheffield was quite possibly the most attractive person he'd ever seen, and he'd dated a lot of Victoria's Secret models. "Who is that with her? She looks like a watch dog."

"Sister and agent, I believe," Colin said from his other side. "Per Eloise, per Penelope, she is not a fan."

Anthony turned to look at his brother with narrowed eyes. "Of me?"

Colin nodded, his face just short of gleeful. "She's read your greatest press hits, brother. She doesn't want you anywhere near her baby sister."

Daphne snorted with laughter. "Gee, that sounds familiar. I wonder why that sounds familiar, Anthony?" She looked at her fiance. "Why does that sound familiar, Simon?

Simon held up his hands. "I know better than to involve myself in a Bridgerton sibling squabble. Consider me Switzerland."

"Coward," Daphne accused.

"And damn proud of it," Simon said. He pressed a kiss to the top of Daphne's head. "I'm going to leave you to it. Try not to bleed. I'll be back before dinner."

Daphne watched him walk towards some of the players and their wives with a fond smile on her face. "I do love that man."

That, Anthony was 100% sure was true. It was the only reason that Simon was still allowed to draw breath. He tried to refocus his siblings to the matter at hand. "Colin, do you think you could distract the sister for me?

"Do you really want me anywhere near your beloved?" Colin asked, waggling his eyebrows.

Anthony frowned. "Good point. Daphne, you distract the sister."

Daphne hit him with her clutch. "I'm sure she has a name, can we use it? You can't reduce women to 'the sister,' and if you don't know that, I don't even know what to do with you."

"Kate," Colin supplied helpfully. "Her name is Kate."

"Kate!" Daphne said. "That's a nice name."

Anthony was going to kill his siblings and he wouldn't even feel bad about it when he had to tell their mother. "Will one of you go talk to Kate?" he said through gritted teeth. "Please."

Daphne tucked her arm through Colin's and said, "We'd be delighted." She tugged Colin away, turning back to wiggle her fingers at him. "Have fun!"

Anthony watched them walk away. He watched them approach Kate Sheffield, who looked bewildered at being accosted. He waited until they were engaged in conversation, and then he made his move.

Edwina Sheffield was his going to be his and he didn't give a damn if her sister didn't like it.

***

Kate wasn't sure what had happened.

One moment she was alone with her champagne flute, trying to watch Edwina's progress across the room from a spot behind a pillar, and the next, she was surrounded by a pair of strangers who looked disturbingly alike and who immediately started talking at her.

She held up a hand. "I'm sorry to be rude. But who are you?"

The woman looked at the man. "I told you we were coming on too strong." She extended a hand to Kate. "Daphne Bridgerton."

"Colin Bridgerton," said the man, also extending his hand. "We hear you hate our brother, so we knew we had to talk to you."

Kate blanched. She didn't realize that her dislike of the man had spread so far, so quickly. "I don't know your brother," she hedged. "How could I hate him?"

"Knowing him only makes the problem worse," said Colin, cheerfully. "You're showing good judgment in getting out in front of it."

Daphne elbowed him in the side. "That's not fair."

Colin raised his eyebrows at her. "Have you already forgotten the sumo suit incident? Because I have videos on my phone. I'd be happy to remind you."

"Ugh," said Daphne, wincing at what Kate assumed was a particularly vivid memory. Or indigestion of some kind. Kate didn't like to make assumptions. "You're both terrible."

"It's not that I object a look at frankly fascinating sibling dynamics, but was there something you wanted?" Kate asked. "I'm happy to just keep listening if you're intent on putting on a show, though. It's definitely better than some off-off-off-Broadway theatre that I've seen."

At her question, Daphne looked just the slightest bit guilty. Colin did not. It was not a surprise that Colin was the one to answer.

"We're the advance force," he said. "Anthony wanted to speak with your sister and it's my understanding that you don't want him anywhere near the same zip code as her."

Kate narrowed her eyes. "How do you know that?"

"How did you get on the list for this party?" Colin countered. "You seem to be a very bright woman, I'm sure you can put two and two together and get--"

"Penelope," Kate said with a sigh. "I forgot that she is friends with your sister."

"Anthony's not so bad, really," interjected Daphne. "His lack of understanding that his sisters are adults and thus entitled to sex lives without his approval notwithstanding."

"I did nothing to deserve that," Colin said. He looked at Kate. "Did I?"

"I have never been so grateful to only have the one sibling," Kate said.

"That sounds like heaven," said Daphne enviously.

"You would miss us terribly," said Colin, nudging at his sister. He looked back at Kate. "But she's right. Anthony's not really that bad. Why don't you want him near your sister?"

"Not that I think I need to explain myself, but Edwina has gotten a lot of very positive press over the last year, and on both a personal and professional level, I am not interested in watching that be exploited by someone with a PR problem," Kate said stiffly. "No offense."

"None taken," murmured Daphne. 

"How do you know he would use her?" Colin asked.

"Sources Say," said Kate grimly. "Look, this has been very illuminating and I'm pleased to have met you, even if it wasn't under the best of circumstances, but I think it's time for me to go rescue my sister from--"

"Rescue me from what?" asked Edwina, from somewhere behind Kate.

Kate closed her eyes and counted ten. Then she spun around and saw her sister looking bright eyed and rosy cheeked and on the arm of Anthony Bridgerton.

He looked smug.

Kate would have to kill him. There was nothing else to be done.

"Anthony!" said Daphne brightly. "Have you met Kate?"

***

The look on Kate Sheffield's face was priceless.

It wasn't that Anthony was such a terrible person that he enjoyed the suffering of others, but in this case, he was willing to make an exception. He didn't know what he'd ever done to make this woman dislike him so much, but if she wanted to get into a feud for no reason, she could bring it on. He was a hockey player. He had plenty of experience with completely pointless beefs.

He held out his hand. "Anthony Bridgerton. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Though she looked at it like it was a live snake, Kate took his hand to shake. "Likewise," she said, through gritted teeth. "Can I have my hand back?"

Anthony didn't even try not to grin, but did as she asked. He could see her desire to wipe her hand on her dress, but instead she just held her hand out from her body at an awkward angle.

This was going to be so much fun.

"Colin, Daphne," he said, nodding to each in turn. "This is Edwina."

"I saw your show," Daphne said. "You made me cry."

Edwina smiled, seeming genuinely touched. "That's the best compliment, thank you."

"I can confirm that," said Colin, with a smile that Anthony recognized as Colin trying his hardest to be charming. "Since I was in the seat next to her."

"Behave," Anthony said, in warning.

Colin held up his hands and rocked back on his heels. "Anthony, you should dance with Kate. I think you two will have a lot to talk about."

Kate looked horrified.

Even though Anthony knew that Colin was setting him up, he'd never been able to resist a dare from one of his siblings. And knowing it would torture Kate Sheffield, made the prospect only sweeter. "What a good idea," Anthony said. "Kate?"

Edwina nudged her sister forward. "He's an excellent dancer. Go on, have fun. I'll just stay here and make Colin and Daphne my new best friends.

Kate looked like she'd just swallowed a toad. "I'd love to."

"Wonderful," said Anthony. He held out a hand. "Shall we?"

***

Kate was acquiring quite the mental kill list tonight.

Much as it pained her to add her beloved sister and biggest client to said list, she really felt as though it was necessary. She'd do it after she killed Colin Bridgerton, though. He definitely deserved to die first.

They finally reached the small dance floor and Anthony pulled her into a very correct dancing position.

Kate narrowed her eyes. "You've had dancing lessons."

"You'd understand if you ever met my mother," Anthony replied. "I take it you don't believe in small talk?"

She gritted her teeth. If he wanted to play games, she could play games. "Lovely weather we're having, isn't it?"

The man had the audacity to laugh. He spun her out, and then back in. "Lovely. Why exactly do you hate me?"

Games to bluntness, all in one fancy dance move. He wasn't going to throw her off balance quite so easily, no matter lovely a dancer he was. "You want to use my sister to eliminate a PR problem of your own making. What about that is supposed to endear you to me?"

"Your sister is a grown woman," he countered. "I'd say that makes it her decision if she wants to be used or not, doesn't it?"

"Ah yes, but I am her agent as well," Kate said, as sweetly as she could. "It's my job to advise her against making bad choices for her career. And you would be a terrible choice for both her career and her heart."

"Again, isn't that for your sister to decide?"

Kate raised her eyebrow. "Was it for your sister to decide when you punched her boyfriend at Madison Square Garden?"

"Touche," said Anthony.

The music came to an end and the dance floor started to clear. But he wasn't releasing her, and they stood there, eye to eye, locked in their own private combat. The air between them felt charged, alive with electricity. Despite the circumstances, despite their surroundings, it was the most intense moment of Kate's life.

Unable to bear it any longer, and afraid of what she might do, Kate tugged at her hand. "Thank you for the dance.”

Anthony blinked and then released her. "Let me take you back to our siblings.”

"I assure you that's not necessary," Kate said. She didn't want to spend a single second around him that she didn't have to.

"I assure you that it is," he returned smoothly. He settled his hand in the small of her back and started to direct her back across the room to where Colin, Daphne, and Edwina still stood.

"Why are you doing this?"

"I am going to date your sister," he said. "I don't care if you like it, but it will make my life easier if you don't hate the idea quite so much. Consider this me trying to make you hate me less."

Kate hadn't expected him to be quite so honest. She liked him more for it, which wasn't at all a feeling she wanted to be having. "And is knowing that you're trying to manipulate me supposed to make me like you?"

He flashed a grin at her that Kate imagined made nine out of ten women fall flat at his feet. It was too bad for them both that she was the tenth. "I don't know, is it working?"

She laughed, reluctantly. His grin widened.

They reached their siblings, plus a man that Kate assumed had to be Daphne's fiance. Anthony did not take his hand off her back.

Edwina greeted them with a suspiciously wide smile on her face. "Kate, guess what? We're going to Vegas!"

Kate looked at Anthony. Anthony looked at Kate.

Maybe she would kill Edwina first after all.

> The clan Bridgerton has departed for Sin City early this year, as it will also be serving as the location of Simon Basset and Daphne Bridgerton's pre-wedding festivities. According to those in the know, among the invited guests is one Edwina Sheffield, who this column lately identified as the object of Anthony Bridgerton's affection. It is understood that Edwina's sister Kate Sheffield is also accompanying the party; can you imagine anything so quaint as a chaperone in this century?
> 
> Let's see if what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas, folks. If my spies have anything to do with it, the answer will be a resounding no.
> 
> ~Excerpted from Sources Say, _The New York Post_  
> 

A week later, Anthony was on a private plane to Vegas with a small army of his family members and assorted friends and significant others. There were Daphne and Simon, of course, and Colin and Benedict. Eloise brought her friend Penelope Featherington, and Francesca, much to Anthony's chagrin, had invited her new boyfriend, John Stirling. And then of course there were the Sheffield sisters. Everyone else that Simon and Daphne had invited to share the happy festivities had had the good sense to make alternate travel arrangements.

Anthony shot a look across the cabin at Kate Sheffield, who was sitting with Eloise and Penelope and having what looked like an engrossing conversation. It wasn't the first time that he'd been compelled to find her in the crowd, and though he was reluctant to admit it to himself, it was like he had a sixth sense about her. He was trying to pass it off to himself as acute situational awareness, but even he was aware how lame that excuse was.

There was just something about Kate Sheffield. He didn't like it, but that didn't make it any less true.

"You look like you got hit by something," Colin said cheerfully, dropping into the seat next to Anthony. He had a bag of popcorn in hand and he tipped it towards Anthony. "You want any?"

"Pass," said Anthony.

"Your loss," Colin said, with a shrug. "This should be fun.

"We have very different definitions of that word," Anthony said wryly. "If I were picking a word to describe the coming week, it would probably be something closer to excruciating."

"You have the worst case of oldest sibling syndrome in anyone I have ever met," Colin said. "Don't you think so, Kate?"

Anthony looked up, surprised. While he hadn't been looking, she'd gotten up from her seat and appeared to be trying to sneak past his and Colin's seats. He supposed he couldn't really blame her after the party. If he were her, he'd avoid him too. And if he did end up dating her sister, that was going to prove awkward. He had better manners. He could prove that.

"Ignore Colin," he said, trying for friendly. "We all do."

Colin clutched at his chest, in suitably dramatic fashion. "A hit, a palpable hit."

She looked reluctantly amused by the byplay. Anthony considered it progress. "Do I clap?"

Colin sprung up from his seat, taking his popcorn with him. "I know when I'm not wanted. Kate, you take my seat, I'm sure you two have many eldest sibling forms of torture to share between you."

Kate looked alarmed. "I was just going to--"

"No, no," Colin said. He moved around her, adjusted her to where she was in front of the seat he'd vacated and pushed her shoulders down. "There. You two have fun!"

Anthony looked sideways at Kate. She looked dazed. Colin often had that effect on people who weren't prepared for him. Even sometimes those that were.

"I meant to kill him years ago," he said.

She turned to look at him. "Why on earth didn't you?" She shook her head. "I don't understand what just happened to me."

"Colin," Anthony said. "We've often thought of having t-shirts made."

She choked out half a laugh. "I survived Colin Bridgerton and all I got was this lousy t-shirt?"

Anthony grinned, pleased she understood. "Exactly."

They smiled at each other, then, having found common ground at last. It made him oddly happy.

"I--" Kate started.

"What--" Anthony began.

They both laughed, a little ruefully. He motioned for her to go first, but she shook her head. "What were you going to ask?"

He hesitated, in a way that was unlike him. Maybe it was silly to try to extend the detente between them, but for whatever reason, he didn't want the moment to end. "What would you be doing this week if not for being roped into this madness?"

She looked surprised at his question. Anthony assumed that she'd prepared herself for more of the same from the other night. She shrugged. "The usual mostly. Work. Dinner with Edwina and Mary. More work." She paused for just a moment, as if deciding to keep going. She shrugged again. "And there was this concert that I meant to go to, but it was going to be awful, so really, this saved me."

Anthony leaned forward in his seat. There could really only be one thing she could mean. "Smith Squared?"

Her jaw dropped, the sight of which he enjoyed. "How on earth--no one knows them."

He nodded in agreement. It was true and it was for the universe's own good that it stayed that way. "Because they're awful. How did you get into them?"

"They played a free show at my college and my roommate made me go, and I couldn't really believe what I was hearing. I keep going to see if they've gotten any better." She sighed. "They never do."

"No," he said. "I just don't understand how they keep going on and on. I mean, don't they know how bad they are?"

Kate shook her head. "It's a mystery. Why on earth do you know who they are?"

"My mother made me take my sisters when they were younger. I'm not sure I've ever forgiven her for that."

They grinned at each other again, and Kate only broke his gaze to take a long look around the cabin. "Your family is very close, isn't it?"

He nodded. "Extremely."

"I respect that a great deal," Kate said simply.

That simple declaration meant more to Anthony than any of the awards that he was eligible for at the NHL Awards. He didn't think this woman's respect was easily won, and he would take whatever shred of it she offered. "Thank you."

She smiled at him, and she stood. "I'm going to stretch my legs. But thank you for this. It was...illuminating."

Anthony watched her walk away. It has been a ten minute interlude, no more, but from the moment she'd sat down, he hadn't thought of her sister once. It was Kate who had held his attention, Kate who had been smart and funny, and all of the things that Anthony knew that he needed in a prospective partner. It was Kate he was thinking about now, and yet it was her sister that he meant to pursue, and Anthony knew deep down that he was in a great deal of trouble.

He had been right when he told Colin that this week was going to be excruciating. He was suddenly afraid that he had been very wrong as to the cause.

***

 

Kate avoided her sister for the remainder of the flight. That wasn't an easy thing to do considering the size of the plane and the number of people on it, but somehow Kate managed.

She was supremely motivated. She knew Edwina would want to ask about her talk with Anthony and Kate did not want to answer questions about it. Not when she hadn't decided for herself what it meant.

It wasn't that she hadn't thought of Anthony as a real person, or maybe it was. But the man who had talked about terrible bands with her was a very different man than the one she read about in the papers or even the one she'd danced with in New York. She could like the man from today. She could approve of his intentions towards her sister. But was that actually who he was? She just didn't know.

When they got to the MGM Grand, though, Kate could not put off Edwina any longer. They were sharing a suite, and as soon as the door closed behind them, Edwina pounced.

"Tell me," she said.

Kate righted her suitcase and set her key card on the coffee table. "Which room do you want?"

Edwina narrowed her eyes. "It doesn't matter. Tell me what I want to know, Kate, or I'll get rough. You know I will."

Kate groaned. By rough, Edwina meant call Mary and Kate was not in the mood to have her step-mother's opinion on any of this. She sank down onto the couch. "There's nothing to tell. Colin was obnoxious, Anthony and I had a reasonable conversation, and I left."

Edwina pouted, having clearly built it up to something more in her head. "That's it?"

"What did you think it was?" Kate asked, instead of answering. It was always better to let Edwina talk herself out of her sulks. Kate had learned that the hard way.

"I don't know," Edwina said. She flopped down on the couch next to Kate. "I wanted you to have bonded. Or something."

Kate laughed. "Bond? What the hell is bonding?"

Edwina waggled her eyebrows. "If you have to ask, it's been too long."

"I am not having sex with Anthony Bridgerton!" Kate protested, sitting straight up. "Where on earth did you get that idea?"

Edwina shrugged. "You two have a vibe. He's definitely not interested in me, even if he wants to be."

Kate was skeptical of this for several reasons. 

One, all men were interested in Edwina. She breathed, so they were interested. It wasn't as though men were uninterested in Kate, she had a healthy sense of her own worth and attractiveness, thank you very much, but men looked at Edwina first. 

Two, Anthony Bridgerton had been nice to her and the reason that most men who were interested in her sister were nice to her was so that Kate would say nice things about them. Since Anthony knew that she loathed him, he had more reason than most to try to revise his initial impression. 

Three, they did not have a vibe. Kate had enough bad first dates behind her to know when there were vibes and when there weren't and this was not one of those times when there were. Edwina was seeing things because she was a hopeless romantic despite her experience with the entire male population to date.

"Hm," said Kate. 

"Don't _hm_ me, Kate Sheffield," Edwina said. She pointed a finger at her sister. "I'm right about this. Just you wait."

"We'll see," Kate said.

***

Dinner was every bit as predictable as Anthony expected. His siblings conspired to keep him and Kate in as close of proximity as possible, while keeping Edwina far away and surrounded by his brothers. 

That he didn't mind was of some surprise, given his plans, but whatever else Kate Sheffield was, she was among the most interesting women that he knew. Life was not boring when she was around, and after the grind of the hockey season, Anthony appreciated people who weren't boring.

Over the course of dinner, he discovered many things about her: 

She took flute lessons. She double majored in business and Victorian literature in college. She liked vacations in the mountains, away from all the humanity that one encountered daily in New York. She'd lost her father when she was a teenager, just like he had. She was entirely too fond of Diet Coke, considering that it was just battery acid in disguise. She played tennis with her step-mother once a week. She had never seen a professional hockey game in her life.

And he wanted, quite desperately, to kiss her.

It wasn't a surprising development. He was self-aware enough to realize that his feelings towards Kate had been trending in that direction. He couldn't say she was his type, and maybe it was strange when there was Edwina to consider, but there was something more appealing about Kate's particular brand of imperfection.

But she loathed him, and he couldn't say that he hadn't given her cause. Yes, she'd misjudged him and made his intentions towards her sister far more nefarious than they'd ever actually been. But he hadn't treated her well, hadn't treated her the way that his mother had raised him to treat women.

He was trying, though, and he thought she was responding. He saw her laugh, and then hide it, when Daphne told the story about the time she'd beaten all of her brothers at Call of Duty. She seemed impressed that he could also speak French, and that he was learning Swedish, and he didn't have the heart to tell her that it was to make communicating with teammates easier. He told her that he'd promised his mom that he'd get his degree, so that during summers, he was usually doing one online class or another. He told her about the many, many family vacations they'd taken over the years, and how it always ended with someone (him) puking in the car. He wouldn't have thought vomit was the way to win a woman's good opinion, but it seemed to work well enough for Kate. 

And besides all of his best attempts to be charming, he caught her looking at him more than once. Not just looking at him, but looking at him with enough intent that he could feel the heat between them. 

What he wanted wasn't one-sided. He just needed to convince her to act.

After dinner, they went dancing, because Daphne had decided that they had to go dancing. Under normal circumstances, Anthony didn't want to be within a city block of his sisters and a club, but he'd take it for the chance to get his hands on Kate. 

Daphne had reserved them a booth on the mezzanine level, above the dance floor. Once they got there, the women all trouped off to the bathroom, leaving Anthony with his brothers, Simon, and John Stirling.

Colin spoke first, looking gleeful. "Having fun tonight, brother? Benedict, doesn't Anthony look like he's having fun?"

Benedict nodded, a grin on his face as wide as Colin's. "Lots of fun."

Anthony looked at Simon. "No comment?"

"I'm a smarter man than that," Simon said. "But your sister would like to know if you are having fun, as well."

"I can take the plane and leave you all here," Anthony said. 

"That threat worked better when none of us had our own credit cards," Colin said. "And when we were trapped in a car and you were the only one with a driver's license."

"Fine," Anthony said, exasperated with all of them. "Yes, I am having fun. None of you are allowed to comment on said fun, because if you do, you will scare the fun away. Are we clear?"

"Crystal," Colin said, clapping Anthony on the shoulder. "All work, no play, and all that. Don't want Anthony to be a dull boy."

Anthony looked at Benedict. "Will you tell mom if I kill him?"

Benedict looked apologetic. "I think she'd notice all the extra food in the house."

Colin opened his mouth to say something, but Anthony elbowed him in the ribs at the sight of the women in their party returning. Wisely, Colin did not say a word.

"Time to dance!" Daphne announced, snagging Simon's elbow. "No backing out now!"

The man went willingly enough, Anthony noted. Francesca grabbed her boyfriend's hand and led him after Daphne and Simon. Eloise and Penelope settled into the booth, pulling Edwina in between them, availing themselves of the bottle of champagne that was waiting there. 

"I need an actual drink," Benedict said. "Come on, Colin."

Anthony shot Colin a look. Colin went.

That left just him and Kate. Sometimes, meddling relations were a blessing, Anthony thought.

"Dance?" he asked.

Kate looked longingly at the dance floor and then back at her sister, who was ensconced in giggling with Penelope and Eloise. "I shouldn't."

"You absolutely should," Edwina said, not bothering to look at them. She made a sweeping motion with her hands. "Shoo."

"Well, that tells me," Kate said, sounding amused. She looked up at Anthony. "I guess we're dancing."

He concealed his grin, as he took her hand and trailed along behind her to the dance floor. He did love when a plan came together.

***

Anthony Bridgerton could dance.

It was a good surprise, and Kate threw herself into it with gusto. They danced together and apart and with Simon and Daphne and all the rest. They made endless trips back to the bar and to their booth, and the night passed in a blur of alcohol and movement. 

It was long past midnight, when Kate finally needed a break from it all. She was sweating from dancing and a little bit drunk and more than a little horny from Anthony's hands being on her for hours and hours. She needed to get away from it all before she did anything she'd regret later.

She leaned up to Anthony's ear. "I'm going to take a break!"

He shook his head, shrugging because he couldn't hear. 

She made a pantomime of leaving, and he shook his head again. But instead of letting her try again, he grabbed her hand and led her off the dance floor.

The bar was crowded, and he avoided it, taking her around to the hall with the bathrooms. It was dark and if not quiet, it was certainly quieter than anywhere else in the club. 

"Now what were you saying?" he asked.

She looked up at him and shook her head, not able to help laughing. "I only wanted a break from dancing!"

He looked rueful, but before he could say anything, someone bumped into him from behind and he moved closer, caging her back against the wall with his body and hands. "I'm sorry," he said, his breath hot against her ear. "I just wanted to make sure there was nothing wrong."

She made herself smile up at him, even though what she really wanted to do was reach up and pull his face down to hers. "Very considerate of you," she said, putting on her best teasing voice. "Been brushing up on your manners, have you?"

"My mother taught me well," he said. One of his hands drifted closer, his fingertips tracing over the skin on her shoulders. "Kate--"

She kissed him.

She knew the reasons she shouldn't. She'd spent the past day reminding herself of them until she could have spoken them backwards and forwards, but she couldn't not kiss him anymore and so she did. And it was _good_.

His mouth was hot on hers, his body pressing her back against the wall. Her hands tugged him closer and his tongue teased hers and his hands were hot against the bare skin on her back like a brand.

She moaned, or maybe it was him. 

He kissed her jaw, her neck, her hands in his hair, holding him fast against her skin. She tried to breathe, she tried to think, could manage neither.

God, she _wanted_.

"Kate, Kate," he said, her name like a chant, his mouth still buried against her throat. "Let me take you home. Please let me--"

His words were drowned out by a piercing wolf whistle behind them. It was enough to make Kate remember where they were.

Hating herself for what she was going to do, her body aching for more, Kate took her hands off him. "No."

Anthony's hands stilled and lifted. She felt the loss immediately. He straightened, moving one careful step back, his face carefully neutral. "No?"

"You don't even like me," she said desperately, though she wasn't sure if the desperation was for him or for her.

"Kate--" he said, reaching for her again.

She didn't let him. 

She ran to the booth to tell her sister was leaving and then she kept running.

***

For the rest of the night, Anthony drank with singular purpose.

He intended to get drunk and he had no intention of stopping until he reached that state. His sisters watched him with worried eyes, and his brothers tried to stop him, but none of it had any effect on him. All he could think about, all he could see, was the look in Kate's eyes as she said no. As she said he didn't like her.

He wanted to destroy the memory of that moment, and the only way he could think to do it was to drink. And so he did.

When they left the club, his brothers had to carry him back to his hotel room. They dumped him on his bed and Eloise stood over him, making him drink a bottle of water with a pitying look on her face.

"You are going to be miserable tomorrow," she said.

Anthony fell asleep.

He dreamed of Kate.

Kate, not saying no. Kate, letting him fuck her right there, against the club wall. Kate, naked in his arms. Kate, in his bed. Kate, underneath him. Kate, above him. Kate, surrounding him. 

Kate.

Kate.

When he woke, it was dawn, he was every bit as miserable as Eloise had prophesied. With a groan, he stumbled out of bed still in last night's clothes and chugged more water and mainlined ibuprofen, stripped and went back to sleep.

The next thing he knew was water being poured on his face and his sisters were standing over his bed.

"Fuck!" he swore, throwing the pillow next to him in their direction. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

"You're not going to ruin my party," said Daphne, who circled around the bed and snapped open drapes. "Get your ass out of that bed."

"Are we even doing anything today?" he asked, shielding his eyes. 

"Miniature golf," whispered Eloise.

"That's not for hours!"

"What time do you think it is?" Daphne demanded.

"Noon?" Anthony guessed. "Why the fuck does it matter?"

"It matters, because Daphne would like you upright and bathed before partaking in the festivities surrounding her wedding," said Francesca diplomatically. "Right, Daphne?"

Daphne snorted. "I'll settle for not green and puking."

"I haven't thrown up once!"

Daphne pointed towards the bathroom. "Get up. Shower. We'll order room service and have it waiting, and when you're done making yourself not smell like a distillery, you can tell us what you messed up with Kate and maybe, just maybe, we will help you fix it."

"You know I'm naked under here, right?" Anthony said. 

"We've seen it all before," said Daphne. She pointed again. "Go!"

Anthony knew her expression far too well to argue with it. He'd seen it many times before, mostly on their mother's face. He wasn't sure when Daphne had acquired it, and he didn't really want to find out.

He yanked the top sheet from the bed and wrapped it around his waist. He strode to the bathroom with as much dignity as he could muster, closing the sounds of his sisters' laughter behind him.

***

Kate began the day as if she hadn't ran out of a nightclub only hours before.

She availed herself of the hotel health club. She ordered room service for herself and Edwina, who was still asleep. She showered and dressed and answered business emails. She made appointments for sisterly bonding by way of manicures.

She did not think about Anthony Bridgerton. She refused to think about Anthony Bridgerton.

Of course, when Edwina finally stumbled from her room, bleary eyed but otherwise perfectly immaculate, the first thing she did was bring him up.

"What happened?" she asked, helping herself to a piece of toast and throwing herself into a chair. "I mean it, Kate, did he _do_ something, because I swear, I thought you two were having fun and I'd never have pushed you at him if I thought he'd--"

Kate held up a hand. She might not understand what was happening, she might be in completely over her head, but she wasn't for a second going to let Edwina think anything like that. " _No_ ," she said firmly. "He didn't do anything wrong."

"You don't run away for no reason," Edwina said stubbornly. "You were the one who taught me how to do the same thing."

"We had a...moment," Kate said. "It got out of hand. I panicked. That's all, I swear."

Edwina's eyes narrowed. "Define moment."

As a rule, Kate didn't kiss and tell. But maybe, under the circumstances, telling would be good. God knew she wasn't figuring anything out on her own. 

She blurted it all out before she could change her mind. "He kissed me and he wanted to have sex and then I ran away."

"Was he a good kisser?" Edwina asked.

Kate threw a pillow at her, almost knocking over the carafe of orange juice that was between them. "That's your question?"

Edwina frowned. "You're right. If he wanted to have sex--and I'm assuming you did too, because you wouldn't be this freaked out if you didn't--he had to have been a good kisser. Well, then why the hell didn't you have sex with him?"

Kate stared at her sister. Surely she couldn't be the only one who understood this. He hadn't seemed to understand either, last night, for all that he'd stopped the instant she'd said no. "He doesn't like me! Hate sex is all well and good, but I really do prefer sleeping with people who want to be with me. Me, not you."

Edwina sighed. "I told you, he doesn't want to be with me. I should know, shouldn't I?"

"We wouldn't be here if he didn't," Kate countered. 

"True," Edwina said. "I will acknowledge that he initially presented himself to us in that light." She leaned forward in her seat, looking at Kate with utter earnestness. "But Kate, he hasn't looked at me like that in days. All he sees is you." She shook her head. "I don't know why you can't see that for yourself, but I wish you'd believe me when I tell you that it's true."

Kate looked at her sister. There was no lie on her face, and Kate knew how to see through all the bullshit artifice that her sister sold on stage night after night. More, Kate knew that Edwina didn't lie to her, that she'd never set Kate up to get hurt. She had no reason to doubt anything that Edwina said, but…

"I can't," Kate said.

Edwina sighed again, and looked disappointed. "What happened to my brave older sister? The one who always told me that the way you knew something was worth doing was by how scared you were before you tried?"

Kate winced. Had she really ever been that naive? Or that trite? "Low blow."

Edwina nodded. "And what do we do with those?"

"Why didn't you ever hit me?" Kate asked, instead of answering. My god, it was like she'd been a walking cliche all her life and she'd never known it. She wanted to hit herself.

"I did," Edwina said. "I'm just smaller than you, so you didn't usually notice."

At that, Kate laughed.

It made Edwina smile and she reached over to take Kate's hand. "Just try," she said. "If you don't like him, fine, but I think that you do, and it would make me so sad if you didn't let yourself have this. Be brave, Kate."

There was so much hope, so much love, reflected on her sister's face, that Kate couldn't find it in her to say no. 

Maybe she liked him. Maybe she didn't. But she could at least try to figure it out. She could give her sister--she could give herself that.

"Brave, huh?" Kate said, squeezing Edwina's hand. "I guess I can give that a try."

***

That night, per Daphne's request, they went to play miniature golf. It was a Bridgerton family tradition, dating all the way back to one of their parents' first dates, and whenever they took a group vacation, they always found a place to play.

They were ruthless. They cheated shamelessly. Bragging rights were at stake.

In short, it was miniature golf as a battle to the death and none of the Bridgerton siblings would have it any other way.

Given his mood, Anthony was in the mood to kick some miniature golf ass when they arrived by shuttle at the course. He exited the bus first and stopped dead in his tracks.

Right behind him, Colin ran straight into his back. "What the--"

"Look," said Anthony grimly. He turned his head, bellowed. "Daphne!"

One by one, the rest of the group made their way off the bus and stopped to stare up at the facade. They all looked appropriately shocked and horrified. 

Daphne, by contrast, looked delighted. "Isn't it great? Terrible, I grant you, but great."

"Terri-great," said Colin. 

She beamed at him. Those two had always shared a special kinship and in this moment, Anthony wanted to hit them both for it. "Exactly."

"You picked a KISS themed miniature golf course," Anthony said slowly. 

Daphne nodded. "My wedding! You want to pick where we play, _you_ get married, big brother." She patted his cheek as she went past him. "Last one gets the shortest putter!"

There was a dash to the door, and Anthony found himself at the back of the pack, with Kate beside him. He didn't know what to say to her. His sisters had given him all sorts of suggestions, ranging from abject apologies to jumping straight back on the kissing horse, but in this moment, none of them seemed quite right.

"I'm sorry," Kate said.

He blinked. He hadn't been expecting that. "Excuse me?"

She looked up at him. She looked determined, but to his relief, he could see hints of strain at her eyes. "I shouldn't have run away. You didn't do anything to deserve that."

He put his hand on her arm to stop her, then put his hands on her shoulders to turn her to face him. "I had to have or you wouldn't have done it. I should be the one apologizing to you."

Kate shook her head. "I promise you that you didn't."

"Then you don't owe me one either," he said. He wanted to say more, but he knew it wasn't the moment to tell her what he really wanted. She wasn't ready to hear it, and he didn't have it in him to hear her say no again. Instead, he held out his hand for her to shake. "Friends?"

She took it, with a faint smile. "We can try that. We don't seem to make very good enemies."

"No," said Anthony. He hadn't let go of her hand, and she didn't seem to want it back. Maybe he was wrong. Maybe this was the right time. "Kate--"

"Flirt later!" Daphne yelled from the door. "Miniature golf now."

Moment broken, they gave each other rueful smiles. Anthony gestured for her to go first. "After you."

He followed her to the door and he plotted.

***

Kate had never seen anything quite like the Bridgertons playing miniature golf. She'd been part of some fairly nasty family scrabble battles (Edwina had a terrible habit of pulling out obscure philosophy terms), but she'd never been afraid there would be _blood_.

"Do you have any bandaids in your purse?" she hissed at Edwina. 

Edwina shook her head, a look of horrified fascination on her face. "Do you think we'll need them?"

"No colluding!" Colin snapped. "Kate, it's your turn."

She saluted him, and moved into place to take her turn. "What's par?"

"Three," said Simon. All the Bridgertons in attendance glared. He shrugged. "You all made me scorekeeper. I'm keeping score."

"Stop stalling," Daphne said. "Shoot!"

Kate shot. Much to her horror, her ball came to a stop right next to Anthony's. 

She knew what would happen next. She'd just seen Daphne completely ruin her fiance's attempts to get two on a par four for doing the same thing. She had no hope that Anthony would spare her.

"Follow your ball in play!" Edwina reminded her, shoving her towards Anthony.

Kate glared at her sister. "I will get you later," she hissed. 

Edwina smiled beatifically and waited for Daphne to take her shot.

As slowly as she could, Kate crossed to Anthony's side. He smiled down at her malevolently. 

"You really wish you hadn't done that, don't you?" he asked.

She glared up at him. "You don't have to do it, you know. You can shoot around me."

Edwina's ball went whizzing past them. Simon shot as soon as her ball had come to a stop.

Then it was Anthony's turn. With a final twisted smile, Anthony took his turn.

His ball went forward. Kate's went flying back into the pond that required her to take a five shot loss if she didn't want to play it out of the water.

"Did I do that?" Anthony asked. He didn't wait for her answer, but goddamn swaggered off after his ball that was almost on top of the hole.

Kate stomped off to the beginning of the green, imagining all sorts of revenge fantasies. She would make him pay. And she would enjoy doing it.

They kept playing, Kate tumbling farther and farther down in the standings. Five shots was impossible to make up, especially when your competitors were savages.

On the last hole, though, Kate got her chance.

The concept was simple. Go around a bunch of barriers and knock your ball up a ramp that looked like Gene Simmons' tongue. They all took their first turns, and it was fine. But then when Anthony took his second shot, he whiffed and his ball drifted to a stop next to Kate's.

"Follow your ball in play!" she said.

Reluctantly, he did. "You wouldn't."

She raised her eyebrow at him. "Oh, wouldn't I?"

"You can still finish not in last place," he tried. "You're only two shots behind Edwina."

"Hey!" exclaimed Edwina indignantly. "Leave me out of whatever insane courtship ritual you two are engaged in, please."

Kate ignored her, tapping her fingers against her chin as if considering what Anthony had said. "No," she said. "I really think that I'd rather do this."

With joy in her heart, she took aim.

Her ball went up Gene Simmons' tongue. Anthony's ball did not.

The look on his face was glorious.

"I win!" she exclaimed, jumping up and down. "I win!"

Colin and Daphne looked at each other. "Victory by acclamation?"

"Agreed," Daphne said. "Kate Sheffield, you are the champion of KISS miniature golf. Bridgerton family bragging rights are yours."

Kate beamed. "I win!"

***

A day later, Anthony was still sulking over the outcome of miniature golf. 

His siblings had teased him mercilessly for the rest of the evening, and there hadn't been any point in pressing his suit with Kate, because she was drunk on winning. He'd finally just gone to bed amidst a chorus of boos and accusations of being a poor sport. The worst of it was that they weren't wrong.

For their last bit of revelry before the rest of the hockey world joined them in Vegas, Simon and Daphne had settled on having a joint bachelor and bachelorette party. What Anthony hadn't known before they landed in Vegas was that when Daphne said joint party, she meant coed strip club.

Anthony was vehemently opposed to this.

"I am not watching my younger sisters watch strippers!" he said, not for the first time, while they were waiting for the limo to take them to Sapphire. 

"Then don't watch," said Daphne patiently. "They're of age. They don't need a babysitter."

"Or an older brother," said Eloise.

He raised his eyebrow at her. "So you don't want me to supplement your grad school stipend anymore? I'll call my accountant tomorrow."

"She didn't mean that," said Francesca. She slipped her arm through Anthony's and looked up at him with an expression Anthony recognized from years and years of his sisters trying to keep him under their thumbs. "Just, we are all adults. We'll have our fun and you can have...yours."

She shoved him towards Kate Sheffield, in what was one of his siblings' least subtle moves of the entire week.

"Nice," he said, but he didn't step away from Kate. "I am still thinking about the accountant."

Daphne clapped her hands as the limo pulled up. "Good, that's settled. Butts in seats, folks! This bride wants to see some naked men and she wants to see them now."

People started piling into the car. Anthony caught Simon's arm. "What have you done to my sister?"

Simon smiled fondly, looking besotted. "Absolutely nothing." 

He climbed into the car and with a sigh, Anthony followed. The only seat left was next to Kate. He took it, choosing to ignore Eloise mouthing 'you're welcome' at him from across the car.

"You ready?" he asked.

She made a face. "I'm not really into performative male nudity." 

He choked back a laugh. "Excuse me?"

"Oh, don't get me wrong," she said, touching his knee with her hand. "I like a naked man as much as the next straight woman with a pulse, I'm just much more into it being one-on-one." She looked up at him, and there was palpable heat in her eyes. She glanced down, and when she looked back up, she was more composed. "Besides, I always worry about paparazzi when Edwina goes out places like this. One bad picture, one part she doesn't get a call back for."

"I thought sex sold," he said.

"It does," she said. "Except when tourists from Kansas are the ones buying the tickets."

"You don't think people in Kansas have sex?"

She frowned at him. "I lost control of this conversation somewhere, and I don't like it."

He laughed. When she cracked a smile, he took a risk and put his arm around her shoulder. "I'll buy you a drink to make up for it."

Kate looked at his hand. She looked back up at him, and the heat was back. "You have yourself a deal."

And just like that, Anthony found himself very eager to get to the strip club.

***

Strippers were a lot more fun when you drank. Kate wasn't sure why this surprised her, but four mojitos later, and she didn't really care. 

She was having _fun_.

She cheered with the bride at the mailman stripper. She did shots with Colin and Benedict. She and Edwina bought Eloise a lapdance. And through it all, Anthony was right beside her, matching her drink for drink and laugh for laugh and it felt _so right_.

They were waiting at the bar for more drinks and she felt like she needed to tell him that. So she tugged on his arm and when he turned to face her, she wrapped her arms around his neck and tugged him down so she could reach his ear. 

"I like you," she said.

His hands settled on her hips, and he pushed her hair back from her face. "Yeah?"

Kate nodded, doing her best to look earnest not drunk. It was very important that he understand that she was serious. "Yeah. Do you like me?"

"I do," he said. "I--Kate--"

Someone bumped into them from behind and the bartender finally noticed them. "What do you want?"

"A mojito!" Kate yelled.

"A mojito," Anthony echoed. "And another Jack on the rocks. Bridgerton tab. Thanks." He looked back down at Kate. "Where were we?"

"You like me," she said helpfully. "I like you."

"Yes," he said. "Kate, we should talk about that."

"What's to talk about?" she asked. "We like." She moved closer, hooking her fingers into his belt. She looked up at him, too drunk to hide anything from him. "I don't want to talk, Anthony."

His eyes went dark. "Kate--"

The bartender slid their drinks to them, and Kate abandoned him for the alcohol. "Edwina! Where are you?"

***

Anthony looked back at the bartender. "Give me another."

***

Kate did more shots with Daphne. Sweet, beautiful shots. 

Sweet, beautiful Daphne. She was so nice. Kate felt like she could tell her anything. 

"I want to bang your brother," Kate yelled.

Daphne laughed and gave Kate more alcohol. "I know."

***

Anthony watched Kate with his sisters. He drank more. 

If he didn't, he was going to drag her off to the nearest bathroom and fuck her silly. He groaned. Just thinking about it was torture enough. 

Colin passed him the bottle. "Drink up."

***

Their hands laced, they noisily snuck out of the strip club. Kate pushed Anthony back against the door of the limo.

***

Anthony kissed her.

***

They were in an office next, Kate signing her name. Anthony's mouth nipped at her neck, and she made a long black scrawl on the paper.

***

Elvis played as Kate walked towards Anthony. She had a short poofy veil on her head. She should have looked ridiculous. Anthony didn't laugh.

***

Kissing, more kissing. The limo driver interrupted. "We're here."

***

A hotel room door opened and they fell into bed.

***

When Kate woke, she wasn't in her hotel room. She was still dressed and there was someone in bed with her. She yelped.

The someone sat straight up, and it was Anthony. He was wielding a pillow and looked like death. "What's wrong?"

She pointed at him. "You're--"

"In my bed," he said, with a groan. He rubbed at his face. Something glinted on his finger. "Wait, what are you--"

She grabbed his hand. That was a wedding band. She looked down at her own hand.

"Oh my god," she said.

Anthony looked down. His eyes went wide, so Kate knew he saw what she saw. 

"Fuck," he said, with feeling behind the expletive. 

Kate couldn't agree with the sentiment more.

> Well, well.
> 
> If anyone had Anthony Bridgerton in the "Which Bridgerton Will Marry First" pool, congratulations, you can collect your winnings. For the rest of you, know that we at 'Sources Say' are just as surprised as you are.
> 
> Our Captain and his new wife, Kate Bridgerton née Sheffield, made their red carpet debut at the NHL Awards last night, and despite looking a little green around the gills, they gave off every impression of being very happy together. But we all know appearances can be deceiving and we're certain that there's more to those shiny new wedding bands than meets the eye. 
> 
> Don't you worry, readers. We have every intention of getting to the bottom of this particular story, and you'll be the very first to find out when we do.
> 
> ~ Excerpted from Sources Say, _The New York Post_  
> 


End file.
